Shoe or hob nail



Oct. 17, 1933.

S. FRANZINELLI SHOE OR HOB NAIL Filed March 21, 1932 Inventor ASY. F/"d/YZ/fi f1 llorney Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES ATENT O FI snoE on HOB NAIL Severe Franzinelli, Holyoke,'Mass. i 1 Application March 21, 1932; Serial noxeoosza' 3 Claims. (01. 36-74) i This inventionrelates broadly to footwear, and more particularly to nails or hobs which are usually employed and applied to the sole and heel of the shoe to reduce wear and increase traction or purchase, when walking.

In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of several types of shoe nails or hobs are provided, certain of which are especially designed for application to the sole of the shoe while others are especially designed for application to the heel of the shoe, although it is to be understood that the nails may be used interchangeably as found desirable.

The invention together with its numerous objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe having certain of the nails or hobs applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a portion of the shoe sole showing one type of hob applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a similarview of a portion of a heel having a hob applied thereto especially designed for disposition at a corner of the heel.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views of several types of nails or hobs embodying the features of the present invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawing it will be seen that generally speaking, the hobs .or nails of the present invention each include a shank preferably non-circular in cross section and a head at one end of the shank particularly designed for gripping engagement with the ground or other suitable purpose to prevent slipping, and thereby to increase traction-or purchase when walking.

The nail shown in Figure 4 is especially designed for application to the sole of the shoe, and consists of a tapered shank 10 non-circular in cross section and provided at its largest end with a lateral head 11 that is substantially triangular in plan with one apex 12 of the triangle disposed in line with the shank 10 and providing a ground engaging or penetrating point. At one of its other corners or apexes the head 11 is provided with a rigid relatively short pointed prong 13 disposed in the direction of and paralleling the shank 10; at its other corner or apexes the head 11 is slightly laterally enlarged and is' provided with a flange or lug 14 adapted to laterally engage the proxi mate edge of the shoe sole or heel as the case may be. 1

The nail shown in Figure 5 is especially de a corner thereof, and as showngembodiesa shank 15 corresponding in every detail to the shank 10 of the nail in Figure 4; At the largest end thereof the shank 15 is provided with a head 16 that signed for application to the heellof theshoe at branch 18 and provided at its outer end with a lug or flange 20 corresponding to the flange 14 of the nail in Figure 4. The third branch ,21

of head 16 at its free end is providedwith 2. lug

or flange 22 similar to flange 20.

In applying the nail of Figure 5to the heel of 1 the shoe it will be seen that the shank 16 is driven into the heel adjacent a corner thereof so flange 20 engages the forward edge of the shoe heel while flange 22 engages an outer side of the heel, with the prong l8 driven into the heel when the nail is in final position; flanges 20, 22 serving so as to protect the proximate edge portions of the heel and the head 16 as a whole serving as a'traction lug or cleat.

The nail shown in Figure .6 may be applied either to the heel or sole of the shoe, and as shown comprises a shank 23 similar to shanks 10 and 15 and provided at its largest end with a head 24. The head 24 in this instance is in the shape of a fork in plan, operating a shank 25 provided at its free end with a lug or flange 26 1 corresponding to the flanges of the nails in Figures 4 and 5; while the prongs 27taper toward their free ends and atsaid ends are bent upwardly to provide pointed penetrating prongs 28. Manifestly with the nail in Figure 6 applied either to the sole or heel of the shoe, flange 26 will laterally engage the sole or heel'as the case and continuing forwardly and around the edge of the sole to terminate ona relatively opposite side thereof adjacent theinstep. Similar nails are also secured to the heel of the shoe adjacent ning at one side of the sole adjacent the instep the side and rear edges thereof and are relatively spaced, while nails of Figure 5 are secured to the heel at the corners thereof. With the nails applied as suggested in Figure 1 it will be apparent that the flanges 14 and 20 provide for suflicient h tion to the particular types of nails herein shownand described, but claim all such forms of the invention to which I am entitled in view of the prior art'and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newis:

1. A hob-nail comprising a tapered shank noncircular in cross section, a head on the largest end'of said shank having oppositely tapered ends projecting laterally from the shank in reverse directions, a transverse flange at the terminal of one of said ends and a relatively short prong at the terminal of the other of said ends; and said ends having corresponding edge portions merging into a point alined with said shank.

2. A hob-nail comprising a substantially triangular shaped head, a shank projecting from said head at one side of the triangle and in line with the angle formed by the other two sides of the triangle; a flange formed at one corner of the head, and a short prong provided at a relatively opposite corner of the head laterally of said shank. I

3. A hob-nail comprising a shank and a head on one end of the shank, said head being substantially triangular in side elevation, one side of the triangle extending transversely to the shank and the angle formed by the other two sides of the triangle being in longitudinal alinement with said shank.

SEVERO FRANZINELLI. 

